Money

 

Is money an inherently bad thing to have?  Does the Bible say any more about money than, “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (I Tim 6:10)?  Actually, there are more than 2,000 verses in the Bible that deal with money, possessions, or finances.  Let’s examine a handful of those passages to get an idea of God’s feelings about money.

      God doesn’t seem to have a problem with our having money since some of the godliest men of the Bible were also some of the richest (i.e. David, Solomon, Job, etc.).  Solomon was even made rich by God Himself (I King 3:13).  Money can be a blessing to the child of God, first, when he or she gives it.  "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you" (Luke 6:38).  It can also be a blessing when one is thankful for it (Psa 100:4).  Remember, every good gift comes from above (Jas 1:17). 

Money can hurt you when you allow yourself to get deep in debt.  You may think the opposite of saving money is spending it.  But the true opposite of saving is borrowing.  When you save, you gain interest for yourself, but when you borrow, you often end up paying for your purchase and then some.  Truly, “The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender (Proverbs 22:7).  Money can also curse you when you trust in it more than you trust in God.  The wise man, Agur, wrote, “Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches-Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You, And say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God” (Proverbs 30:8-9).  Many have buckled under the weight of the burden of riches, and thus learned this truth, “For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits” (Jas 1:11). 

Properly ranked among the issues of life, money can be a blessing, but used unrighteously, it can abase anyone.

----Darrell Powell

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